Rare pain syndromes of the head and neck

Abstract

Introduction Pain is one of the most important reasons that brings the patient to the doctor. However, pain concerning the ear, nose, throat, larynx and neck is not always directly related to inflammation, trauma or cancer in these regions. It happens that the family doctor or otolaryngologist does not find any deviations in the clinical examination which could be the cause of pain complaints. Such a patient is often referred to doctors of other specialties (including a neurologist, maxillofacial surgeon, or general practitioner), which results in the continuation of suffering, and uncertainty due to the lack of diagnosis. Objective The aim of the study was to remind and sum-up knowledge about rare pain syndromes encountered in the practice of doctors of various specialties. Brief description of the state of knowledge Rare pain syndromes occurring in the region of the head and neck include Eagle›s syndrome, XI cranial neuralgia, myofascial pain syndrome and glossopharyngeal neuralgia. These syndromes are relatively rarely diagnosed. The routine analgesic treatment applied by otolaryngologists and family physicians is usually poorly effective. Conclusions It is important to remember while making a differential diagnosis for the above-mentioned pain syndromes to consider the fact that although they occur rarely, they significantly deteriorate the patient’s quality of life, cause diagnostic difficulties, and are most often associated with the lack of causal treatment and poor effectiveness of basic methods of analgesic treatment.

Keywords

• neck pain
• myofascial pain
• neuralgia
• facial pain
• craniofacial pain